Who is GBTRS?

GBTRS is an organization that focuses on women in the music industry. We strive to create equal opportunities for women in the industry as well as educate and connect a network of aspiring music industry professionals. To learn more about us, head over here.

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We're super excited to announce our first Benefit Concert! Come hang out at Tellers Austin with us and catch special performances by TiLLie and Gold Steps! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here or at the door.

We've recently launched our campaign effort to seek representation and recognition for women in music at industry award shows! For full details on the campaign and to find out how you can get involved, head on over to our Woman Of The Year Award Campaign page!

When I realized around the age of 13 that you could work in the live music field without being a musician or doing any of the technical work, I knew I wanted to be a part of that. And since Live Nation is the world's largest concert promoter and I live in New York City, I really wanted to be involved with the some of the country's largest concerts, even if it was just as an intern in the marketing department. It's really interesting to see just how many people go into making one date of one tour possible, on all levels!

Do you feel management is something you always wanted to go into?

I haven't started at Red Light Management just yet, but I've always been intrigued by the management side of the industry. At my current position at The Bowery Presents, I am looped into emails from managers all the time, who work to help promote their artist's tours and send us any press that could be relevant to us pushing the show dates. It's just another side of the music world that I haven't yet experienced that I am stoked on getting to know more about!

What do you feel sets you apart as an intern?

Going the extra step and being engaged is really important! I've only have one position where I'd have a good amount of down time, and I'd always ask for more work and try to find things that needed editing or organization. At my current position, I am working consistently all day, but still try to take on more tasks in order to make my supervisor's day go a little smoother. Ask to be taught skills they don't necessarily always ask interns to learn, just so you're more of an asset to the team and show you can be trusted with extra responsibilities! These are all things that I do on a day-to-day and it seems to be working.

Is there a previous internship you felt launched you into this one?

My first internship was actually at a music advertising agency called Hear & There that runs music-related digital ads on many music blogs and websites. We worked directly with both Live Nation and The Bowery Presents while advertising their shows, so my boss was easily able to set me up with an interview at Live Nation. I have worked for The Bowery Presents since 2014 doing ticketing at their summer venues, and I already had some connections there as well, so when I applied to Bowery it was a pretty easy transition! And more recently, I made friends at previous internships who have worked for Red Light Management, so when I applied for this most recent position, having those contacts definitely helped as well.

What is the benefit of interning somewhere like Live Nation, Bowery Presents, and Red Light MGMT?

It's been said a thousand times, but you need to get the hands on experience at internships in order to make yourself marketable to an employer, gain relevant skills and to make connections within the industry. Having recognizable companies on your resume is always a step in the right direction, but you also need to make meaningful connections and apply yourself while you're there! As for the more tangible benefits... free shows and festivals are definitely a plus ;)

Tell us about a time when being a woman in your field has been difficult for you? What effects of sexism have you dealt with and how did you learn to handle it?

I've been fairly lucky to not have had experienced much upfront sexism actually within the workplace or from anyone I have directly worked with. All of the offices I've worked in had an equal amount of female employees as male, and 2/3 of the offices I've worked in had female VPs. Any sexism I've really encountered in terms of music has more to do with the way I've been treated at concerts from fellow fans (shout out to all the guys who have groped me at shows), or from security letting men without passes get into VIP-type areas but then stopping me to double check mine, as though it's ~impossible~ for a woman to have access to these same parts of the venue that men do.

What is your advice to other young women wanting to get internships like yours?

Start small and don't be ashamed of it! I was street teaming for record labels in high school and early college, joined a music club at school and helped with their marketing, volunteered at any and all booths I could at Bamboozle (RIP), Skate & Surf (also RIP) and Warped Tour. Just showing that you're willing and ready to work in any capacity is key. This lead to my part time gig at Bowery doing ticketing, and my first internship! From there you should have more options since you have at least one relevant position on your resume and a few connections.

Are there any particular artists you're working on that has you jazzed?

We can have up to 150-200 concerts a month at Bowery, and I assist with the marketing of them all so it's hard to pick just one artist that has me jazzed! I'm more jazzed about Bowery opening a brand new venue, Brooklyn Steel, which is the first new venue NYC has seen in years and it has been super exciting to be a small part of.

What are your career goals?

As of right now, I am open to most areas of the music industry whether it be in management, agencies, or promotions. Realistically I can see myself joining a concert promotion company like ones I've worked with, as a marketing assistant or coordinator and then working my way up from there. I plan on moving to LA in the next couple years, and would ideally love to work for Goldenvoice in their marketing department, or learning more about agencies and management!

We chatted with intern extraordinaire, Erin Haney about her current internship at Crush Music where she's learning all about artist management. Erin's a dedicated college student with a plethora of experience and advice for aspiring interns. Check out her interview below!

What made you want to intern at Crush?

Crush has an unbelievable roster and all of their artists do well on the charts. I wanted to work with the team that made that happen, so I sent in my résumé.

Do you feel management is something you always wanted to go into?

When I was little, I had dreams of being a vet. Because... Dogs are angels and deserve all of my time and attention and love. Duh.

In all seriousness- I officially decided I wanted to pursue a career in the music industry in freshman year of highschool, and I haven’t changed my mind since. That was around the time I started going to a lot of concerts, so I think that definitely set off the spark. All aspects of music management interest me, but artist and tour management are, and always have been, my main focuses.

What do you feel sets you apart as an intern?

I know exactly what I want to do with my life, career-wise... most people my age don’t. I’m the youngest one in the office. I know lots and lots of people who didn't take full advantage of the internships they've had and ended up getting nothing out of them. That’s my worst nightmare, but also my biggest motivation- I absolutely refuse to let their case become mine. I’ll do everything and everything I can in order to help those around me and to get the future I want in the industry I’m most passionate about- and I think that shows.

Is there a previous internship you felt launched you into this one?

I interned for Troye Sivan’s tour manager (at the time) last year, Stacy Waronker. She’s family friends with a high school friend of mine, so we got connected through her. After our quick over-the-phone introduction, Stacy took me under her wing and taught me everything she could in the amount of free time she had while on tour with Troye. She wrote me a letter of recommendation for my current internship at Crush and I think that really gave me the extra boost I needed. I learned so much from her and I will forever appreciate what she’s done for me over the past year.

What is the benefit of interning somewhere like Crush?

Having the ability to network with and be surrounded by like-minded people that are willing to help you & want to see you grow is an incredible benefit. Also getting to hear some new/unreleased songs and finding out about tours before they're announced is definitely not too shabby.

What is your advice to other young women wanting to get killer internships like yours?

Get all of the experience you can- even taking internships at small companies or volunteering at small events count. Everything will add up. Don’t let anyone not take you seriously (I’ve had plenty of people ask me why I “want to be a groupie for a living”). Once you get your internship, be at your office as often as you can be. Take on every task you can, big or small, and ask a lot of questions.

Are there any particular artists you're working on that has you jazzed?

My favorite Crush artists are Panic! At the Disco and Lorde. God, they're both so, so good. Their managers are in the NYC office where I’m based so there's always lots of talk about them in the office, which is awesome.

What are your career goals?

The dream is to become a tour manager, tour until I can’t tour anymore, then go into artist management.

Be sure to follow Erin on twitter at @listendarlin and on Instagram at @erin.rh to keep up with her incredible rise in the industry!